Method for the production of imitation feathers.



F. MEDITSCH.

I METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION-70F IMITATION FEATHERS.

APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 12. 1914.

1,246,296. Patented Nov, 13, 1917,

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Mb 5v ATTORNEYS FRANZ MEDITSGH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA} METHOD FOR [PI-IE PRODUCTION OF IMITATION FEATHERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1 91 *1.

Application filed March 12, 1914. Serial No. 824,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ Mnnrrsor confidential clerk, subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Vienna, Austria, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods for the Production of Imitation Feathers, of which the following is a specification.

Imitation feathers which have hitherto been produced from threads, horse hair and the like, are objectionable in that they do not resemble natural feathers and do not resist exposure to the weather. The production of imitation heron feathers in particular was only possible to a quite inadequate extent.

The present invention relates to an imitation feather which is free from the above object ons and which permits of producing imitations of the finest kinds'of heron feathers, in an almost perfect manner.

According to the present invention the imitation feather consists of separate, suitablv prepared filaments, the outer free ends of which form the curls of the feather while the inner parts of the filaments run down wardly and parallelly so as to form the quill which thus increases in diameter toward the bottom. The portions of the filaments which form the quill are joined by compression sothat the mass with which they are prepared and which gives the freely projecting filaments the necessary stiffness and elasticity, effects at the same time the binding of the filaments forming the quill.

The method for the production of imitation feathers cons sts in preparing the filaments first of all with an adhesive substance which after the drying of this substance, are joined so as to produce the feather imitation. The process is'preferably carried out in such a manner that a whole. feather is woven from one single filament. For this purpose an apparatus is necessary which consists of a frame with a suflicient number of suitably arranged needles or hooks around which the filaments are wound to form a plurality of loops of varying lengths. When the winding is completed the portion forming the quill is compressed and the outer ends of the loops of the filaments are cut ofi so that the members thereof form the curls of the feathers.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows ant-imitation heron feather.

Fig. 2 :shows the imitation feather diagrammatically while 3 shows the winding apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the device for producing the imitation feather while Fig. 5 is a side elevation and Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof.

Figs. 7 and 8 show different constructional forms of a detail.

Referring to Fig. 1 the imitation heron feather consists-of a number of filaments 1 which may be formed of aluminium wire, thread, silk, artificial silk, horse hair, iron yarn or wood and vegetable fibers. These filaments are of varying lengths and are impregnated with an adhesive substance. Various substances are found to be suitable such for instance as glue, lacquer, starch,

-- celluloid, cellon, cellite, shellac, gelatin, resin,

wax, albumen, gum arabicum, rubber and the like. Filaments provided with such a coating or impregnated therewith have, on the one hand, a sufficient elasticity and stiffness, and on the other hand. are suitable for the format on of the quill of a feather. The filaments thus coated are bunched as shown in Fig. 2, where n it will be seen that the inner lower portions of the filaments extend parallel to form the quill 2, and the outer upper portions extend outwardly to form the curls. It will also be seen from the said figure, that the portions of the elements forming the quill gradually increase in .num-

her from the upper to the lower end of the. feather, so that thequill gradually increases in th ckness from its top to the lower end. The bunched filaments are then subjected to pressure, preferably under the action of the heat, to cause "the portions of the filaments forming the (null to be secured together.

The method, however, can be carried out in a much simpler manner namelybyhusing one continuous filament from which the whole feather is produced by winding it over a frame to form a plurality of loops of varying lengths When the feather is completely wound, the solid quill is formed by compressing the central portion and the loops are severed so as to form the curls of a feather. Fig. 3 shows a diagram of a Winding frame for forming the filament into loops. To wind the filament, it is secured to the hook 3 at the top of the frame 4:, then passed down around the hook 6 at the bottom of the frame, then up over hook 7, around hook 8, down over book 9 and around.

hook 6, then up over hook 10, around hook 11, down over hook 1:2, around hook 6, up over hook 18, around hook let, down over hook 15, around hook 6, up over hook 16,

device consists of a rectangular frame 22 provided with pins at its top and sides and having a central bar 19 provided with 'a longitudinal tapering groove, and with upwardly diverging pins 21 arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the groove, the pins being spaced apart to correspond to the spacing of the individual filaments forming the quill. To the lower end of the frame is secured a hook 6 lVhiie the frame is shown as rectangular, yet it is to be understood that it may have any other suitable form. The filament is wound over the frame in a similar manner to that described with reference to Fig. 3. A press lever 52% is connected with the frame by means of which the filaments forming the quill are pressed into the groove 20 in order to join the said filaments. This press lever may be also heated according to whether this is necessary for the particular impregnating sub stance employed. The press lever may be also provided, as shown in Fig. 7, with lateral pins 25 which will force those filaments which during the winding have not com-- pletely entered the groove 20, into the latter. The lever 2%- instead of being formed with pins 25 may he formed with lateral projections 26 (Fig. 8) which engage the parts between the pins 21 and thus press downwardly the filaments which may still adhere to the said pins 21.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in winding a continuous filament to form a plurality of loops, securing portions of the loops together, and severing the loops.

2. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in winding a continuous impregnated filament to form loops of difierent lengths and whose inner portions become shorter as the respective loops become longer, securing the lower extremities of the loops together to form the quill, and severing the loops to form the tips.

3. The method herein described of formin artificial feathers consistin in windin D 3 t) '3 a continuous filament to form two groups of loops, securing portions of the loops together to form the quill, and severing the loops to form the tips of the feather.

4:. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in bunching a plurality of filaments of different lengths, securing portions of the filments together to form a tapering quill, and bending the unbound portions outwardly to form curls.

5. The n ethod herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in forming a plurality of filament loops of different lengths, securing the loops together for portions of their lengths to form the quill of the feather, and then severing the loops at their outer ends.

6. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in forming from a single filament a plurality of loops of different lengths, securing the loops togetherfor portions of their lengths to form the quill of the feather, and then severing the loops at their outer ends.

7. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in impregnating a filament with an adhesive substance, forming the filament into a plurality of loops of difierent lengths, subjecting portions of the loops to pressure to cause them to adhere to each other to form the quill of the feather, and then severing the outer ends of the loops.

8. The method herein described of making artificial feathers, consisting in impregnating a filament with an adhesive substance, forming the filament into a plurality of loops of different lengths, subjecting portions of the loops to the action of heat under pressure to cause parts thereof to adhere together to form the quill of the feather, and then severing theiouter ends of the loops.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANZ MEDITSCH. Witnesses:

lVILi-IELM O'rTo KOIPRASCH, Aueusr Fueonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

